Spanish Home Renovation Realities & A Splash of Mediterranean Blue

After what feels like a whirlwind of sawdust, paint fumes, and slightly questionable DIY decisions, we’re finally resurfacing with an update on our $3,000 house renovation in Spain. If you're new here—welcome!

We’re Andrew and Jasmine, a couple who traded Australia for a tiny Andalusian village and a fixer-upper that’s teaching us the fine art of patience (and the importance of reading the label on paint stripper before using it).

The ‘Plan’ That Wasn’t Really a Plan

We came into this project with a vague idea of how things would go: tackle one project at a time, mix a little DIY with some hired help, and slowly transform our place into the Mediterranean-inspired dream home we envisioned. But as any renovator will tell you—plans are merely suggestions, not guarantees.

Without a dedicated project manager, we’ve been flying by the seat of our pants, navigating between DIY attempts, unexpected hurdles, and the occasional stroke of genius (or, more often, hindsight wisdom). That being said, we did have one major win: we found Rafa.

Meet Rafa, Our MVP

Rafa is an electrician by trade but, as it turns out, he dabbles in plumbing too—a double jackpot in a town where good tradespeople are as rare as a stress-free renovation. He’s quickly become our go-to guy, helping us make sense of the maze that is old Spanish wiring while also preventing us from making some truly terrible mistakes.

The Door Debacle: A Lesson in Patience

One of our first big DIY attempts was restoring the doors and windows. The plan? Sand them down, give them a fresh coat of paint, and move on. Easy, right? Wrong.

What started as a simple sanding project turned into a labor-intensive exercise in frustration. The grooves in the doors laughed in the face of our orbital sander, so we resorted to YouTube university for answers. Enter: a rotary tool, which we promptly ordered in hopes of saving ourselves hours of tedious hand-sanding.

But then came the gut punch. After a full day of sanding, sweating, and slowly losing our will to live, we learned a fun little fact—varnish can be removed with paint thinner. That’s right. Instead of spending hours sanding, we could have just applied a remover and let the varnish bubble up like magic. Cue an existential crisis and an immediate purchase of the correct product.

A Mediterranean Makeover

Despite the chaos, we finally made some aesthetic decisions we’re thrilled about. While the interior is leaning towards soft whites and natural woods for that classic Mediterranean feel, we wanted to bring a pop of color to the outside.

Inspired by the dreamy coastal homes of Greece, we opted for a crisp white facade paired with vibrant blue doors and windows. And guess what? The locals love it. We’ve lost count of how many times people have walked past, smiled, and said, "¡Guapo!" (which we quickly learned means “pretty” in Spanish). We’ll take that as a win!

To complement the look, we spray-painted the security bars white (because yes, they’re staying—extra safety is never a bad thing) and added reflective window film that makes the glass look entirely blue from the outside. It’s those little touches that really bring the vision to life.

The Secret Garden Dream

For me (Jasmine), one of the non-negotiables was having flowers on the windowsills. You know those picturesque cottages covered in blooms that make you feel like you’re in a fairytale? That’s the dream.

So, we planted a mix of flowers that thrive in full sun, and within a month, they were already thriving. But the pièce de résistance? Bougainvillea. That vibrant fuchsia-pink vine you see all over Mykonos? We planted one right in front of the house with plans for another on the side. It’s currently in its “I’m-in-shock-from-being-replanted” phase (which means it looks suspiciously like a dead stick), but we have high hopes for a summer bloom.

The Reality of Renovation

If you’ve ever attempted a renovation, you’ll know it’s messy, exhausting, and often leaves you questioning your life choices. Nothing looks good in the beginning. There are tools everywhere, dust settles on everything, and you start to wonder if you’ll ever live in a home that doesn’t smell like wood stain.

But then you take a step back. You see the changes, however small, and you realize—it’s all coming together. Slowly, but surely.

So, if you’re tackling your own renovation, just know this: the journey is messy, but it’s worth it. And if all else fails, just buy more Bougainvillea.

We’ll be back with more updates soon. In the meantime, if you have any renovation war stories (or words of encouragement), drop us a message—we love hearing from you!

Adios,

Jasmine & Andrew